The following is the monthly report given by Sulphur
Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell to the City Council at its Sept. 6
meeting:

KATRINA EVACUEES — My heart goes out to the thousands
of victims left homeless and grieving in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
I cannot begin to imagine the difficulty of their ordeal. I can only
hope that the efforts of the agencies and people of this nation and
of this great state will adequately provide for their basic needs. Perhaps
the great outpouring of compassion from countless citizens will, in
some small measure, assuage their grief.

The emergency shelter at Wesley United Methodist Church currently houses
about 130 evacuees. Over the weekend the shelter housed as many as 230
people. Some people are finding homes or apartments locally, but most
that have left have gone to live with relatives or friends. Local hotels
house another 70 evacuees. Other evacuees may arrive at the shelter over
the coming days and weeks.

If you haven’t been to the local shelter, you should go see the operation.
In terms of quality and services provided, it rivals any shelter anywhere.
I offer my heartfelt thanks to the people of Wesley United Methodist
Church, Lieutenant Rex Morgan and the many volunteers and employees who
are doing an outstanding job. In addition to food, shelter and clothing,
the operation also makes several other services available on site — medical
services, employment assistance, housing assistance, etc.

HIGHLAND SEWER — This project replaces two sewer lines which pass through
the backyards of homes on Hillcrest, Highland and Woodcrest. The project
is about 50 percent completed. The contractor has installed the new sewer
line between Hillcrest and Highland, and he is currently installing the
sewer line between Highland and Woodcrest. The contractor is utilizing
“trenchless” technology to minimize the impact to homeowners. The project
has a budget of $181,597.

LAMAR SEWER — This project replaces 1,050 feet of sewer line between
Lamar and Jackson parallel to the drainage ditch. The Capital Construction
Division has completed the project. The budget for the project was $58,531.

LEE STREET DRAINAGE — The Capital Construction Division has begun construction
on a new underground drainage system between Lee Street and South Town
Branch. The project has a budgeted cost of $62,000.

ACCIDENTS AND CLAIMS — We had two minor liability claims in August.
A motorist claims $125 in damages allegedly caused by the new street
surface on Davis Street. Another motorist claims to have struck an open
hole on Bellview causing damage to the vehicle. Both claims are pending
with the Texas Municipal League.

We had three workers compensation claims in August. One employee suffered
heat exhaustion, another cut his hand, and another had a bad case of
poison ivy. In each instance, the employee recovered and returned to
work after a few days.